Buying a House without Stress?!

After 6 months of house shopping, 30 showings, two really creepy serial killer-esque basements (seriously... like a Dexter episode), and countless MLS emails, we finally FOUND OUR HOUSE!!!!!  I am SO excited, but I have to be honest and say that even though we are only 2 weeks away from closing and moving, I still have not wrapped my mind around the fact that we are purchasing this as our very own.  I mean really, a house!?  Yikes!!!

The whole process with this house has been sort of surreal.  When the images popped up on my computer screen, I had a feeling deep down in my gut that this was the house God had chosen for us. From that moment on, it became more and more clear that this was in fact where He wanted us to be.  I shared more about this process over on Circle of Friends, where I'm a contributing author.  There you'll find the full story about how God paved the way and communicated to us through His peace that passes all.  I am so thankful, and still in awe of the way that God provided for us- but making my first attempt at rifling through our storage space and organizing boxes, it is really easy to forget all that peace that has marked this experience and feel myself starting to get anxious and stressed out.

Feeling myself getting worked up, I decided that instead, I am going to try with everything that is in me, to make this whole moving process stress-free.  I know that sounds a bit crazy, and somewhat impossible but I am going to be as disciplined as possible to make it true.  This isn't the first time that I've chosen this mentality.  From day one of wedding planning I told myself, and everyone else in the process that I was bound and determined to have the process be stress-free.  I think people thought I was crazy when I said it. Wedding planning without stress?! Of course, it had it's moments, but honestly, making that choice from the beginning played a significant role in the peace and joy that I felt throughout the entire process as well as on our special day.  I look back on that time and am so thankful that I made that decision early on and stuck to my guns, giving myself the opportunity to focus on the joy and not on the stress.

God didn't create us to be stressed out, anxious people.  We have a choice to either get all worked up about the details and the craziness, or focus on the joy that can be found in each and every moment.  I know that this is going to be a difficult mentality to maintain.  I already found myself fighting off the stress as I thought about the packing process (I hate packing with a passion).  But I am going to work my tail off, and do whatever I can to remain stress-free.  God is so good, and He has blessed us so much with this house- I want to do what I can to remain in His peace and run from the stress cloud that can so easily devour us.

If you think of me, pray for me in this process?  It is going to be a difficult, yet so joyful time- I just know it.  Can't wait to reveal more about our lovely abode!! More images and hopefully fun home-projects to come.